Hens and Humidity

[Stacyoung13]

How does a hen regulate humidity when she lays and hatches outside.

 

[JaeG]

I'd say the humidity is constant under a hen, even at hatch time, and broodies pluck their chests so that their skin is in contact with the eggs.

I had to laugh at one article I read awhile ago that said hens splash water on their eggs. That's ridiculous, and having watched our bantam broodies closely (they were indoors) I can tell you they do no such thing. They don't even wet their chests or anything like that. They must be able to sense humidity though as ours got off their pipping eggs for a quick snack. The humidity in the room was around 60%. They also kept turning their eggs right up to hatch day and all chicks hatched out just fine. Hens know what they are doing.

 

[NonnasBabies]

How does a hen regulate humidity when she lays and hatches outside.

It's magic!! No seriously it's just mother nature!! Who's to know. I know that you can raise babies and have to be so meticulous on the temps and such but a hen can hatch out babies in the freezing cold and they run around like the cold is nothing to them!!

 

[Stacyoung13]

They are amazing

 

[Abriana]

Mama hens know how to! I’ve heard that they get off the eggs to dust bathe and walk through dewy grass (why they go out in the morning) and then they’re damp and it’s humid under them. Hens are amazing!

 

[chickengeorgeto]

…. I had to laugh at one article I read awhile ago that said hens splash water on their eggs....

In nature hens mostly chose to set on the ground or earth and there is no shortage of moisture in the ground. JaeG knows what he is talking about when he says that hens know what they are doing. In fact hens know what they are doing better than any human, myself included. But I think that I am gaining on the hens. However even if I make it to 100 the hens will still be ahead of me in chicken smarts.

Since chickens lack lips I am more than curious how chickens splash or spit water on their eggs.

 

[EggWalrus]

and broodies pluck their chests so that their skin is in contact with the eggs

I had someone (that knew very little about chickens) convinced that the reason they pluck their breast feathers was so the biddies could find her teets easier to nurse.

Boy was she mad when she found out the truth!

 

[Abriana]

I had someone (that knew very little about chickens) convinced that the reason they pluck their breast feathers was so the biddies could find her teets easier to nurse.

Boy was she mad when she found out the truth!

omgosh. I saw a post on FB that someone was concerned that the chicks weren’t getting enough milk!

 

[EggWalrus]

omgosh. I saw a post on FB that someone was concerned that the chicks weren’t getting enough milk!

That may have been her!
I also had her believing that if the Momma Hen didn't get enough biddie food, she might not make enough milk!

 

[Abriana]

That may have been her!
I also had her believing that if the Momma Hen didn't get enough biddie food, she might not make enough milk!

I’m just going to spend the rest of the night laughing!